Men prefer physically attractive women, while women choose men with wealth, power, and earning potential, according to a study of sex differences in what men and women find appealing in an opposite sex spouse. Furthermore, it has been discovered that women, more than men, are willing to accept for partners who are physically unappealing but have earning potential or riches. These gender disparities in romantic partner preferences have been seen throughout cultures and can be interpreted in evolutionary terms as a mating strategy for picking a spouse capable of maximizing the health, strength, and fitness of any future progeny. Men who have more wealth or earning potential, for example, are better able to support and care for their children than men who have less wealth or earning potential. Another explanation for the sex variations in liking for wealth or physical attractiveness discussed above is social role theory. According to this hypothesis, men and women’s relative preferences for different attributes in a love relationship are ultimately determined by the varied roles they embrace or are expected to adopt within a society. Are these gender inequalities still visible in a world of greater gender equality, where women have better earning potential and hence may have little or no need to rely on a male partner’s financial resources?
